Lancing devices are utilized for penetrating the skin of a human or animal subject at a lancing site to obtain a sample of blood or other body fluid for medical testing, as in blood-typing or blood-glucose testing. Known lancing devices commonly include a housing containing a drive mechanism, a charging mechanism for energizing the spring or other biasing means of the drive mechanism, and a release mechanism for releasing the drive mechanism upon actuation. A lancet is typically propelled by the drive mechanism from a retracted position within the housing to an extended position wherein a sharp tip portion of the lancet projects from the housing to prick the subject's skin at a lancing site. Optionally, a depth-adjust mechanism may be included for providing adjustment to the depth of penetration of the sharp tip portion projecting external of the housing.
Many known lancing devices use charging mechanisms that function to charge the drive mechanism by pulling or pushing an actuator handle of the mechanism generally away from the body of the lancing device. This can present challenges to users with reduced manual dexterity, and may require using two hands to hold the device body and pull the handle until the device is charged. Moreover, these pushing or pulling charging motions involve a frictional component that must be overcome to charge the device, commonly resulting in the subject or user having to exert additional force.
Additionally, the assembly of lancing devices commonly includes a multi-step process that can include pre-assembly, welding, and snapping or gluing together portions of the device or the housings, and often requires costly equipment such as a pneumatic press to carry out the snapping procedure. These required assembly steps, procedures, and equipment are often seen as drawbacks to making lancing devices, as they tend to increase the cost of the lancing devices.
Continuing improvement to charging features and the assembly of lancing devices is sought. It is to the provision of improved lancing devices and methods of operation, use, and assembly thereof that the present invention is primarily directed.